Name: Slow-Cooker Spicy Chipotle Chicken Noodle Soup
Total time: 4 h
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds split bone-in chicken breasts , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 4 teaspoons vegetable oil; 4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 10 cups chicken broth; 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained; 2 ounces wide egg noodles; 2 cups frozen corn , thawed; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Making a deeply flavored chicken noodle soup in the slow cooker is surprisingly easy, but it requires getting out a skillet to start things off right. We found that searing skin-on chicken breasts and using the flavorful fat to sweat our vegetables and aromatics gave us unbelievable depth of flavor. We then removed the skin from the chicken to prevent too much fat from getting into our soup. Using chicken broth instead of water also gave us a backbone of flavor. We tried many iterations of cooking our noodles in the soup but found that the heat of the slow cooker was not sufficient to cook the noodles properly, so we cooked them on the side and added them at the end.

Before You Begin

You can substitute bone-in chicken thighs for the bone-in breasts, if desired; increase the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours.

Instructions

Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate and discard skin.

Add chipotle, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and ¾ teaspoon salt to fat left in skillet; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir in remaining 9 cups broth and tomatoes. Nestle chicken into slow cooker, cover, and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours on low.

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add noodles and 1½ teaspoons salt; cook until al dente. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, then toss with remaining 1 teaspoon oil.

Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces; discard bones. Stir noodles, chicken, and corn into soup; let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.